For many of these children, this was their first experience with watercolor painting. I taught the lesson one step at a time, starting with painting a yellow stripe mixed with brown at bottom, across the paper, then a blue stripe, etc. etc. I paint, and they follow. But what's neat is that each painting is unique, and does not really look like my example. I encourage them to imagine what the mountains look like, what it's like at the lake when the sun sets. We talk about the colors, the shapes, the technique of applying paint, using the brush, dabbing and blotting with a paper towel, blending colors. They are like sponges and just soak it all up. Kids just love the painting experience.
I'm a teacher with certifications in three academic areas, but I'll be taking my art certification exam in a couple of weeks. I hesitated because the arts seem to be the least marketable subject area--sadly, the arts are the first to go. But I'm staying true to my true passion... hoping that I pass my exam. Hoping that I'll find the right place to teach what I love. Thanks for sharing your journey. :)
Good luck Kathleen, and thanks for reading. Hopefully, things will swing back and the arts will be valued again as an essential part of a quality public education. I think it's important for a teacher to teach to her strengths and teach what she loves. That passion gets passed along to students.
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For many of these children, this was their first experience with watercolor painting. I taught the lesson one step at a time, starting with painting a yellow stripe mixed with brown at bottom, across the paper, then a blue stripe, etc. etc. I paint, and they follow. But what's neat is that each painting is unique, and does not really look like my example. I encourage them to imagine what the mountains look like, what it's like at the lake when the sun sets. We talk about the colors, the shapes, the technique of applying paint, using the brush, dabbing and blotting with a paper towel, blending colors. They are like sponges and just soak it all up. Kids just love the painting experience.
I'm a teacher with certifications in three academic areas, but I'll be taking my art certification exam in a couple of weeks. I hesitated because the arts seem to be the least marketable subject area--sadly, the arts are the first to go. But I'm staying true to my true passion... hoping that I pass my exam. Hoping that I'll find the right place to teach what I love. Thanks for sharing your journey. :)
Good luck Kathleen, and thanks for reading. Hopefully, things will swing back and the arts will be valued again as an essential part of a quality public education. I think it's important for a teacher to teach to her strengths and teach what she loves. That passion gets passed along to students.
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